Early Tomato Thread

[zazen999]

Just nip out the crumbling leaves; take them out of direct sunlight for a day or two and to be honest, I'd repot those making sure there was a good manure and compost mix in the bottom of the next pot.

[Northwest]

Thanks for the advice I have a growbag ready for them and small tomato grow house ready to go but am delaying putting them out due to frost risk, I will do as you advised and repot them and give them a few more weeks indoors.

I must admit last year I cheated and just got a few young plants in late may and planted stright outside.

[Elaineb]

Thanks for the advice I have a growbag ready for them and small tomato grow house ready to go but am delaying putting them out due to frost risk, I will do as you advised and repot them and give them a few more weeks indoors.

I must admit last year I cheated and just got a few young plants in late may and planted stright outside.

I have put mine out in the tomato grow house, there doing fine in all this lovely weather, but if there is a risk of frost I will bring them in overnight, bit of a chore though but will be worth it.

[Jacksprat]

My lovely husband bought me a new greenhouse last week and I have put all my tomato plants in it today as they had outgrown my windowsill. I have covered them in fleece for the night and hope that they will be ok, fingers crossed!

[gojiberry]

Most of my tomatoes now in final resting place and all doing well with first flowers and well established. Will need to get supports in place in next few days.

Ian

[annacruachan]

I have all my tomatoes bar two in the cold greenhouse. They have been there for ten days and are doing well despite night temps near zero. Maybe the bubblewrap cladding helps here. The two in the conservatory will, I hope, provide us with fruit a week or two earlier.

I have never sown seed so early - late Jan - and am so excited to have flowers open on all of them at this time of year. They are all well grown, about 3ft tall and full of vigour. I shall never wait until March to sow them again!

[Shadylane]

I seem to remember someone posting something about removing the large bud that first appears on some (possibly heritage) varieties. I have some Black Krim that have a big un showing and was considering if i should remove it. Anyone know if this is right or did I make it up?

[Flummery]

Many people do remove the first large bud. If you don't you seem to get and extra large rather alien looking tomato with creases in! I think the term is fasciated - but I might have dreamed that! I tend to leave them on. I'm a sucker for a big tom.

[tiachica]

Just got my tomatoes back from my holiday babysitter and they are have really grown. A bit spindly, but I hope to sort that out when I pot them on. Also, one of them has a tomatoe size of a 20p on it. :-) Never had a tomatoe starting so early in the year.

[Shadylane]

Many people do remove the first large bud. If you don't you seem to get and extra large rather alien looking tomato with creases in! I think the term is fasciated - but I might have dreamed that! I tend to leave them on. I'm a sucker for a big tom.

Thanks for that Flummery, think I'll leave it on. I like the sound of a wrinkly weird looking tom

[Brengirl]

These are the Black Cherry toms. They are going well and have flower buds. Should I just leave them be or nip them out.

[tamsin]

Leave them, I planted mine out last year with baby toms on.. don't bother them you just get an earlier crop which is the goal anyway When they flower give them a tap to help them polinate if the insects don't have access.

[Flummery]

Some of mine have flowers on - there are pictures on my blog - latest posting.

[nomis]

We have second trusses of flowers forming on our black tigereallas, they are about 4 feet tall now and outside having got too big for the window ledges.


Wonder if we ought to manually pollinate to ensure they get going.

[nomis]

I seem to have burnt my plants or is it disease do you think, there in a south facing window and its been quite sunny these past few weeks, they look a little sorry and some of the leafs are dried and crumbled away although new growth at the top still looks good.


I have put a photo up here
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/...7a86ed67_b.jpg

make sure you keep the windows dry of condensation every day. If the leaves touch the wetness on the windows they can get damaged.